"Buzzer" by Pillsbury House Theatre at the Guthrie Studio Theater

The new play Buzzer by Tracey Scott Wilson premiered at Pillsbury House Theatre last year. It explores issues of race, class, gender, and gentrification in this seemingly post-racial world. It's one of those plays that'll leave you with a slightly uneasy feeling because of the very real and intense issues it brings up. Like all theater by Pillsbury House, it's more than just a play, it's an exploration of ideas, conflicts, and issues that are extremely relevant to the world we live in, but that we may be reluctant to face. That's what great theater does, make us face those issues head on. If you missed it last year, you have a second chance to see it at the Guthrie studio (playing now through March 3), where the entire cast and creative team has reassembled. The play may have been tweaked a bit since its last run, but I didn't notice any drastic changes from when I saw it last year; it's as if the entire production was plucked out of Pillsbury House and placed intact in the Guthrie Studio. It was one of my favorite plays last year, and the kind of play that almost requires repeat viewing, so I was more than happy to see it again.

Tracey Scott Wilson has crafted an intense one-act drama, with the action and the tension constantly building. Scenes overlap; a character will be having a conversation, then turn and begin a new scene and conversation with another character without taking a breath. It never lets up, until the final painful confrontation. Here's the plot summary I wrote last year:

Jackson is a successful lawyer who grew up poor in a neighborhood filled with drugs and violence, and was able to get himself out and make a better life for himself. He rents (to own) a newly remodeled apartment in his old neighborhood, which is transitioning from a "bad neighborhood" to one with coffee shops and lofts and restaurants. He and his girlfriend Suzy, a teacher in the inner-city schools, move in. Jackson convinces Suzy to let his down-on-his-luck best friend Don move in with them, despite her reluctance. Don is from a privileged background, and despite constantly getting himself into trouble, has been able to get out of it thanks to his rich and powerful father. Jackson was given nothing and worked hard to achieve the life he wanted, while Don squandered every opportunity he had. But somehow the two men remained friends. Their friendship is tested when Suzy tells Don that she's being harassed on the street, and they grow closer. Each member of the trio has their own plan to end the harassment. Suzy thinks that if she stays strong and ignores the bullies, they'll eventually stop. Jackson wants to threaten them with violence, while Don thinks reasoning with them and being friendly will solve the problem. The conflict grows inside the apartment and outside on the street.

Namir Smallwood, Sara Richardson, and Hugh Kennedy

Hugh Kennedy won an Ivey Award for his performance as Don, and seeing it again it's even more clear why.  He completely embodies this damaged character struggling with his demons and trying to live a better and sober life. It's a very physical performance; Don's addiction is apparent in his jittery hands and frenetic energy as he moves uneasily around the apartment. Namir Smallwood and Sara Richardson are also great as the troubled couple Jackson and Suzy. Each of these three actors creates a complex character, all of whom make bad choices at times but are very real and relatable. Marion McClinton returns as director and brings all of this complexity together in a cohesive way (check out this feature on MN Original about his amazing career journey). Lastly, the simple and elegant set by Dean Holzman (which looks very similar to what I remember from last year's production) provides a great space for the story to take place.

The title refers to the broken buzzer in the apartment building, and who the residents are willing to let in based on their own prejudices and assumptions, which may not agree with what they claim to believe. In the program notes, the playwright says, "The young characters in Buzzer think they are beyond race. They were raised on ethnic food, multi-cultural TV and hip-hop. They don't discuss race because they don't see race. They know slavery was an abomination and all men are created equal. What's to discuss? They discover that there is a lot to discuss and keeping silent is much more destructive than speaking the truth." This play breaks through the silence and speaks the truth, at least from the point of view of each of these three complex characters. It doesn't offer any solutions, but addressing the issues and bringing them to light is a great beginning.

The 2012 Ivey Awards at the State Theatre

The Ivey Awards is always my favorite theater night of the year, and this year's awards ceremony was my favorite of the six I've attended. Why? I saw seven of the ten awarded productions, the host was perhaps the best I've seen, I completely agree with the choices for this year's Emerging Artist and Lifetime Achievement awards, the featured performances included some of my favorite shows of the year, and I had a fabulous time at the after party with my blogger buddy The Playbill Collector talking to many of my favorite theater artists. That all adds up to perhaps the best local theater night I have ever experienced! Once again, I'm blown away by the level and diversity of talent in the Twin Cities theater community, and I'm truly honored to be a part of it in my own small way.

The hilarious Shanan Custer was a perfect choice to host this year's awards (as we have learned from TV awards shows, it's always better to ask a comedian). I didn't know who she was when she did a skit at last year's Iveys, but I have since seen her in several things, including one of my favorite shows at the Fringe this year. She was funny and charming and natural, a great guide to the evening's activities. Many of her funny words were written by Joseph Scrimshaw and Zach Curtis, but she ad libbed a bit too. After a particularly moving acceptance speech, she came on stage and said, "I'm crying already, I just want to make art!"

The show opened with a slideshow of the over 70 local theater companies, and then sadly, a rather lengthy "In Memoriam" segment (including the co-host of my favorite radio show, Tom Keith aka Jim Ed Poole). And then, the opening number. "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was Places!" (Reminding me of one of my favorite sounds in the world - "The call is places!" announcement at the Guthrie.) Beth Gilleland and Dane Stauffer gave a history of sound and light in the theater, with actors Brian Sostek, Katie Bradley, Madde Gibba, Taj Ruler, and Neal Skoy interpreting their words to amusing effect. As they've have done in the past few years, the Ivey people managed to turn what could be the most boring segment (thanking the sponsors) into one of the most entertaining. Shanan introduced a scene from that great American play, Angry People in a Living Room, starring the comedy team of Scrimshaw and Middleton as very dramatic brothers who just happen to name sponsors in their argument about whom their father loves most.

Ten Ivey Awards were given out this year. Many of last year's winners returned to present awards to this year's winners (for the shows that I saw, click on show name to read my thoughts at the time).

1. Compleat Female Stage Beauty by Walking Shadow Theatre Company (Overall Excellence)
   I didn't really know what to expect from this play when I saw it, but I ended up loving it. A play about theater, gender roles, and figuring out your place in a changing world, with a great cast, costumes, and music - much deserving!
2. Spring Awakening by Theater Latte Da (Overall Excellence)
   This was the least surprising award of the night. As the mythical and mysterious Ivey said, "this is the reason the Iveys were created." Such a gripping, energetic, and powerful production with amazing choreography and a fantastic young cast, it was a sure thing.
   
   

   

   Group hug!
   Peter Rothstein and the cast of Spring Awakening

   
   
3. Miriam Monasch, director of Our Class by Minnesota Jewish Theatre Company
   This was a really powerful play about a group of friends, Catholic and Jewish, growing up in Poland at the time of the Soviet and Nazi invasions. I don't usually notice the direction (which I think probably means it's good), but when I think about the ten-person cast and everything that's going on in this play, and how smoothly and effectively it ran, it makes perfect sense that the director would be awarded for it.
4. Barry Browning, lighting designer for Dial M for Murder by the Jungle Theater
   This was a deliciously tense murder mystery. Like direction, I tend not to notice lighting (again, that means it's effective), but thinking back, there were some creepy lighting situatious that added to the overall tone of the piece.
5. Tracie Bennett, Judy Garland in End of the Rainbow by the Guthrie Theater
   Tracie so completely inhabited the legend that is Judy Garland, as well as the very human woman behind the legend, that I was sure that she was going to win a Tony (the show went on to a six-month run on Broadway after closing at the Guthrie). She did not. Instead, the British actress returned to Minnesota to pick up an Ivey. Who needs a Tony when the land of Judy's birth loves you!
6. Ballad of the Pale Fisherman by Illusion Theater (Emotional Impact)
   I am so bummed I missed this one, but in my defense I didn't really know who Transatlantic Love Affair were at the time. After seeing their amazing Fringe show Ash Land, I now know that they're a truly inventive and lovely and heart-breaking physical theater company, and I will not miss another one of their shows.
7. Hugh Kennedy, Don in Buzzer by Pillsbury House Theatre
   I would have given Hugh an Ivey for playing Hamlet at the Jungle last year, so I'm happy he got one for this intense little play. He played a privileged but underachieving recovering drug addict whose best friend is an underprivileged but now successful lawyer. He ranges from sympathetic to maddening throughout the play. And the great thing about this one is that if you missed it, you can see it at the Guthrie Studio Theater early next year (hopefully with the same cast).
8. Julius Caesar by Theater Unbound (Inventive Reinterpretation)
   The idea of an all female production of Julius Caesar sounds completely amazing, how did I not hear about this? I just liked Theater Unbound's Facebook page so hopefully I won't miss any other good stuff.
9. Joe Vass, Music Director of The Soul of Gerswhin by Park Square Theatre
   Another one I missed, sadly. If it comes back around I won't make that mistake again.
10. Jody Briskey, Judy Garland in Beyond the Rainbow by the History Theatre
    I'm so thrilled that Jody's portrayal of Judy was not overshadowed by that other fabulous Judy this year. She plays a different Judy, younger and more in control of her life, so it's really not fair to compare the two performances. But she is definitely equally as deserving of this award.

This year's Emerging Artist is Isabel Nelson, co-Founder and co-Artistic Director of Transatlantic Love Affair. She directed the Ivey-winning production Ballad of the Pale Fisherman. As I said above, I was so moved by TLA's Ash Land at the Fringe this year that I plan to see everything this woman creates with this completely unique company, including a remount of their 2011 Fringe show Red Resurrected at the Illusion early next year.

The final Ivey awarded was the Lifetime Achievement Award, which went to Rick Shiomi, the founder and (soon-to-be-retiring) Artistic Director of Mu Performing Arts, one of the most influential Asian-American theater companies in the country. The interview/film package they showed was fascinating, as it told how Rick created this theater company and built the talent pool around it. I have enjoyed many productions by Mu over the last several years, including the incredible taiko drumming ensemble Mu Daiko, and I can't think of a more deserving recipient of this award this year.

Interspersed with the award presentations were six varied performances from shows this year. Musical numbers were accompanied by the fabulous Ivey band, led by Denise Prosek. The performances included:

• A short scene from the Ivey-winning production Ballad of the Pale Fisherman that left me wanting more.
• "The Bitch of Living" from Theater Latte Da's Ivey-winning production of Spring Awakening. Perhaps my favorite scene of anything I've seen on stage this year, I could watch it every day for the rest of my life and never tire of it. The choreography is amazing, the cast is energetic (as Shanan said, "I like those boys!"), it's fan-freaking-tastic.

•  A truly bizarre and wonderful little scene from Psst! by Off Leash Area, a strange little workplace romance in which the actors wear not just masks, but full animal heads.

• A flying dragon and a boys choir in a scene from the delightful musical fable The Dragons are Singing Tonight, a show I very much enjoyed.

• Regina Marie Williams and Austene Van in a number from Penumbra's Dinah Was. Another one I'm sorry I missed. When the magnificent Penumbra Theatre gets up and running again, I will not miss another one of their shows (please consider donating to help them get back on their feet!).
• An appropriate closing number to the evening was a medley of songs from the Chanhassen's super-fun summer musical, Xanadu (closing this weekend!). I was a little concerned that Sonny Malone (aka Dieter Bierbrauer) would not make it home from the Tennessee Williams Theater Festival, where he was performing in George Maurer's Autumn Song, in time for the show. But gladly, he was there, along with Jodi Carmeli's they-call-me-Kira-because-that's-my-name and the rest of the fabulous cast. A great end to a wonderful show - this night was my Xanadu!

So ended an awesome celebration of Twin Cities theater. It truly was a wonderful evening that highlighted many theater artists and companies for the great work they did this year. If you're a local theater-goer and you've never attended the awards, you should go next year. It'll inspire you to go to even more local theater!

Celebrity Sighting

Too many to recount here!! On the red carpet, inside the theater, at the after party, it felt like every other person I saw was someone I've seen in a show. My blogger buddy The Playbill Collector and I made the rounds at the after party and talked to many of our favorites. Everyone was so gracious and sweet, and many said lovely things about my blog, which I very much appreciate. It was truly a pleasure to meet and chat with each and every one of you, and I look forward to seeing you again soon!

with Ivey winner Tracie Bennett

"Buzzer" at Pillsbury House Theatre

Pillsbury House Theatre's production of the new play Buzzer (by playwright Tracey Scott Wilson) is a very modern play about race, class, gender, relationships, and gentrification of neighborhoods.  Three characters, an interracial couple and their recovering addict friend, struggle to find their way in this seemingly "post-racial" world.

Jackson is a successful lawyer who grew up poor in a neighborhood filled with drugs and violence, and was able to get himself out and make a better life for himself.  He rents (to own) a newly remodeled apartment in his old neighborhood, which is transitioning from a "bad neighborhood" to one with coffee shops and lofts and restaurants.  He and his girlfriend Suzy, a teacher in the inner-city schools, move in.  Jackson convinces Suzy to let his down-on-his-luck best friend Don move in with them, despite her reluctance.  Don is from a privileged background, and despite constantly getting himself into trouble, has been able to get out of it thanks to his rich and powerful father.  Jackson was given nothing and worked hard to achieve the life he wanted, while Don squandered every opportunity he had.  But somehow the two men remained friends.  Their friendship is tested when Suzy tells Don that she's being harassed on the street, and they grow closer.  Each member of the trio has their own plan to end the harassment.  Suzy thinks that if she stays strong and ignores the bullies, they'll eventually stop.  Jackson wants to threaten them with violence, while Don thinks reasoning with them and being friendly will solve the problem.  The conflict grows inside the apartment and outside on the street.

The three-person cast is fantastic in bringing these characters to life, and making them all at times sympathetic and at times maddening.  Sara Richardson, who was fabulous as Fraulein Sally Bowles in Cabaret last year, is equally good here playing this completely different and much more real character.  Namir Smallwood (the exiled prince in Ten Thousand Things' Life's a Dream) plays her boyfriend Jackson with great intensity, and possesses a powerful angry stare (as was pointed out in the post-show discussion), which he wears as a weapon.  Hugh Kennedy (my favorite Hamlet) is the third wheel, Don, and plays him with a restless frenetic energy that's appropriate for an addict trying not to go back to his old ways (a little like David Arquette on a talk show, all fidgety nervousness).  The play is written in such a way that the scenes almost overlap.  One scene has barely ended when the next scene picks up immediately, which I found interesting and a great way to keep the momentum building.

In the audience the night I attended was a group of high school students.  It was really fun to watch them watch the play.  They were so present, so in the moment, so reactive to what was happening on stage.  I love theater, but perhaps a bit of the magic and wonder wears off when you see as much theater as I do.  But for these kids it was all still there.  It was refreshing to see.  They also had some interesting comments at the post-show discussion.  I love post-show discussions at Pillsbury because they always bring in someone from a community group that is working on some of the issues explored in the play.  With this piece it's the City of Lakes Community Land Trust, which "provides and fosters stewardship of perpetually affordable homeownership opportunities for low-income and moderate-income families and individuals."  It felt like a great community discussion, thoughtfully led by Artistic Associate and actor Kurt Kwan, rather than just a Q&A session with the actors.  There were comments from people who live in the neighborhood in which the theater resides (35th and Chicago), and someone who was a victim of gang violence, as well as the aforementioned students.  Theater is at it's best when it engages the audience in a conversation about very real issues facing people today, or at least gets you thinking about things in a different way.  That's something Pillsbury House Theatre does very well.

Buzzer is playing now through March 18, and all seats are "pay what you can," from $5 to $50, which is a pretty cool thing when theater tickets for the big touring productions go for $100.  You'll definitely get your money's worth and more, no matter what you pay!